.223 acceptable variation

[Bryk]

Bought some “factory” reload ammo for plinking. Decided to do some simple qc on it since ive never bought from them before.
its mixed brass, 55gr fmj rated for 3200fps. Primer depths look ok’ish but my real question is what would be a “safe” or acceptable variation in totla loaded round weights?
most of the rounds ive weighed have come in right around 176 to 178 grains. But, i have a few that are 174, and probably another 10 rounds or so that are 180 to 184 grains. How many grains +- would you consider safe as plinking/practice ammo? Out of 200 rounds i am questioning 20 of them.

 

[Near miss]

Mixed brass with 3200 fps.. no really point in weighing them even if you sorted them by brand.
If you do not trust them, do not shoot them.

If you do, carry on or as a sanity check, take few apart (lightest and heaviest) and weight the difference in powder.

 

[Haney]

The weight variation is a non-issue for mixed blammo .

 

[just browsing]

Are you really checking primer depths on blaster ammo? Unless you bought this stuff from like a super sketchy black market, send it.

 

[918v]

Checking total weight on mixed brass ammo for QC???

lol

 

[ma smith]

OPs first post

user since
>Dec 31, 2022

 

[Doom]

55 gr FMJ 3200fps with mixed brass is not factory ammo but remanufactured. If it is loaded to any performance spec its for M193 mil spec which has a mean radius of 2" at 200 yds. Since it is not sold as such and mixed it functional ammunition. On the whole you can probably expect it to shoot 4" groups at 100yds.

 

[hkguns]

There is no reason to check primer depth or weight on factory loaded ammo, remanufactured ot not. Either you trust the source or you don't. I don't even check that on my reloads. Shoot it, don't over think it.

As stated directly above, don't expect great accuracy.

If you bought it at a table at a gun show, don't do that...............

 

[Molon]

its mixed brass, 55gr fmj rated for 3200fps.

Since you didn't list the barrel length, that number doesn't mean much.

most of the rounds ive weighed have come in right around 176 to 178 grains. But, i have a few that are 174, and probably another 10 rounds or so that are 180 to 184 grains. How many grains +- would you consider safe as plinking/practice ammo?

Since you didn't break rounds down and weigh components, you have no idea if that weight variation is due to powder charge, case weight or a combination of both.

Out of 200 rounds i am questioning 20 of them.

Why on earth would you risk your rifle, your hands, your eyes and face for 20 rounds of cheap-shit ammunition?


Here's what can happen with ammunition from a company that has shitty QC.

....

 

[Doom]

Since you didn't list the barrel length, that number doesn't mean much.




Since you didn't break rounds down and weigh components, you have no idea if that weight variation is due to powder charge, case weight or a combination of both.




Why on earth would you risk your rifle, your hands, your eyes and face for 20 rounds of cheap-shit ammunition?


Here's what can happen with ammunition from a company that has shitty QC.

....

OUCH! That is the worst case head I have seen in terms of extractor and ejector marks. The case head actually flowed towards the extractor. Most of the re-manufacturers I've looked at talk a lot about SAAMI dimensional standards and machinery but nothing about quality control. SAAMI is a voluntary standard and there is not legal obligation for its use.

 

[Bryk]

I see where the condescending prycks gather nowadays.
sorry i dont know all the in and outs of super accurate ammo, or reloading in general for that matter. I was just trying to ask a general question. Of course im not going to take a chance on the rounds in question because i have a brain in my head.
all i wanted to know was if 9 or 10 grains over average weight would cause you any concern. Jesus.

 

[camocorvette]

I see where the condescending prycks gather nowadays.
sorry i dont know all the in and outs of super accurate ammo, or reloading in general for that matter. I was just trying to ask a general question. Of course im not going to take a chance on the rounds in question because i have a brain in my head.
all i wanted to know was if 9 or 10 grains over average weight would cause you any concern. Jesus.

What theybare getting at is there is no way you can group or check the ammo in complete form. You need a kinetic bullet puller to pull the projectile and weight each powder charge.

There's to much variance in part of the cartridge. Between bullet weight variance, case weight and charge weight. You can't get a accurate avg for each round.

 

[FLIGHT762]

Just in case weights in different Mfg. 223/ 5.56 cases, the brass can vary from 93 grs. or so to just over 100 grs. Are the 180-184 weight rounds the same head stamp?

Too much variation to conclude the 180-184 cases are loaded with too much powder and could be dangerous unless you disassemble them and weigh the powder charges with some of the lighter cartridges.

 

[camocorvette]

Main question is why are they "questionable" rounds? Who manufactured them? Are they factory loads, factory seconds, misc reloaded plinking ammo?

Don't buy ammo that's being sold in a Walmart bag by a guy that smells like cheap wine..

 

[Bryk]

These reloads came from a major retailer that is running holiday deals on these 200 round plinking boxes. They are mixed brass, all different head stamps, and the only way i could figure to at least attempt to keep from have a “situation” was to weigh the loaded rounds. I dont own a bullet puller or any other reloading equipment, so this was the only way i have to at least get some kind of ballpark with what i have available to me.
ive only seen this company around for about 2 years, that i can remember, and ive seen good and bad reviews of them.
what really spurred my desire to try to check them over because as i was loading up some mags, i noticed a round that was in the box that not only didnt have powder, but there was no primer in it. It had a bullet, but nothing else.
before i posted, i had read there were weight variations of cases, bullets, powder charge, etc. and this was why i wanted to ask what an acceptable variation for a loaded round would be. I extrapolated, as best incould with my limited knowledge, that the rounds i have mostly fall within 2 or 3 grains of the average 176 grain that all but these 20 come in at.
and as far as checking the primers, i have a lot of free time and just wanted to look them over for my own curiosity. Im still trying to determine if im going to trust this company in the future.

 

[Bryk]

a few more pics

 

[Im2bent]

So who's the " major retailer"?

 

[Bryk]

All ill say right now is they are a very well known retailer that sells A LOT of 2a equipment. If i say who the retailer is, it will almost assuredly pinpoint the ammo reloader, and im not ready to post that at this point.

 

[msgriff]

Freedom Munitions?

 

[Bryk]

Freedom Munitions?

its not freedom

 

[spife7980]

Im still trying to determine if im going to trust this company in the future.

Obviously no

 

[diggler1833]

I see where the condescending prycks gather nowadays.
sorry i dont know all the in and outs of super accurate ammo, or reloading in general for that matter. I was just trying to ask a general question. Of course im not going to take a chance on the rounds in question because i have a brain in my head.
all i wanted to know was if 9 or 10 grains over average weight would cause you any concern. Jesus.

For your information, we've been gathering here for at least 15 years. Thicker skin is a requisite for longevity.

Didn't see it addressed yet, so I'll weigh in with just a small observation of my own after reloading .223 for a couple decades: cartridges that you perceive to be overweight would not be due to an excessive powder charge...it just isn't possible to cram an extra 9 - 10 grains of powder into a .223 (what you're observing in weight difference). Most loads are going to have 23 - 27 grains total powder in the case, and have a decent fill at that.

^ That doesn't mean you can't get overpressure in a hurry with a charge that is too large. I'm just saying that it won't happen by 9 - 10 grains. You can still fit enough powder into a .223 case to blow stuff up though...especially if the wrong powder is used.

More than likely, your wide weight swings are a result of case weight. That CAN (but doesn't have to) correspond to case volume, and therefore have a wide swing in pressure from one round to the next...which is why you wouldn't catch me shooting remanufactured ammo with mixed headstamps. Have I shot mixed headstamp .223 before? Yes. But it was loaded by someone I trust, and with a lighter charge weight of powder.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bryk]

For your information, we've been gathering here for at least 15 years. Thicker skin is a requisite for longevity.

Didn't see it addressed yet, so I'll weigh in with just a small observation of my own after reloading .223 for a couple decades: cartridges that you perceive to be overweight would not be due to an excessive powder charge...it just isn't possible to cram an extra 9 - 10 grains of powder into a .223 (what you're observing in weight difference). Most loads are going to have 23 - 27 grains total powder in the case, and have a decent fill at that.

^ That doesn't mean you can't get overpressure in a hurry with a charge that is too large. I'm just saying that it won't happen by 9 - 10 grains. You can still fit enough powder into a .223 case to blow stuff up though...especially if the wrong powder is used.

More than likely, your wide weight swings are a result of case weight. That CAN (but doesn't have to) correspond to case volume, and therefore have a wide swing in pressure from one round to the next...which is why you wouldn't catch me shooting remanufactured ammo with mixed headstamps. Have I shot mixed headstamp .223 before? Yes. But it was loaded by someone I trust, and with a lighter charge weight of powder.

Hope this helps.

Thank you very much. That actually helps quite a lot.
overpressure rounds are where my real concern lies with this ammo. its reloaded from a factory that does huge amounts of rounds, so i want to at least THINK they would have minimal qc, as not to vaporize a barrel. Its not some guy doing 20,000 reloads a year, they are larger scale.
think ill just plan to go ahead and plink with the ones i feel are ok and then pull down the ones in question and measure the components to see where that puts my confidence in them.
do you think it would be beneficial to measure overall length of the rounds, as far as installed bullet height?

 

[Near miss]

You do not need a bullet puller.
Just pliers to loosen that bullet by twisting it.
Then you can measure the powder.

The overall length is good if it fits inside a magazine so no need checking that.

 

[Bryk]

You do not need a bullet puller.
Just pliers to loosen that bullet by twisting it.
Then you can measure the powder.

The overall length is good if it fits inside a magazine so no need checking that.

Thank you. I really appreciate the respectful interaction. Happy new year.

 

[Bryk]

***update - i went through and tore down 10 rounds

found that the common thread is that the heaviest rounds (8 to 10 grains above average) are all s&b cases. The s&b’s came in at 108.4 to 109.4 grains, with primer. All the average weighted were 100.0 to 102.0
all the bullets were 55.4 grains, and all of the powder charges were 25.0 to 25.4

with that said i believe i feel confident enough to go forward with it
thanks for the help

btw, it was ammo i got from a psa deal from ammo inc.

 

[Near miss]

Excellent. Let's hope the .4grs is derived from the min-max of cartridge weights and does not represent bell-curve style probabilities. Based on 10 cases and .4grs, the maximum difference might be .8grs. But the difference in itself is NOT dangerous, just makes for velocity variation.

People here are know very much (read too much) of cartridges and thus asking those questions really aggravates them. Because once you too understand how cartridge measurements differ and how to weigh those differences, your questions are quite.. Dumb.
But I know that before you get the basics of the matter you do ask dumb questions.

You already learned a lot already, I strongly suggest reading this. It might save your or someone elses face or gun.

Understanding Pressure :: Primal Rights, Inc

Reading pressure is a required skill that all shooters must have. Whether you are shooting factory ammunition or your own handloads, you absolutely must be able to detect and interpret pressure signs on your fired brass.

www.primalrights.com

 

[Near miss]

Plinking means different things but for me it means shooting at various targets, paper and objects at free range and trying to hit them, the endgoal being getting all of the targets down. Maximum velocity and poor cartridge QC does not help at all in that. Just making the gun hotter quicker and you pressing more shots, instead of hitting the targets as intended.

Think about it:
Usually the object is a can or similar.
4moa x 2moa at 100m.
And to get the pleasant effects you need to hit it within 3moa x 1.2moa. Even most bulk ammo delivers only 1.4 to 1.6 moa precision so nailing that soda can is not so easy.

Test your ammo and know you limits.

For blasting and mag dumping (or fast fire opening training as I call it) it suits the purpose.